Yazuka Kiwami 3 director Ryosuke Horii justified the controversial casting of actor Teruyuki Kagawa as Goh Hamazaki in a recent interview, saying, “We tried to think of someone who makes you go, ‘This guy’s a creep.'”
Horii spoke to Japanese outlet GAME Watch (independently translated by IGN) about the casting, which has drawn criticism because Kagawa has been accused of sexual assault. Horii said the team made their decision based on what performance they would most like to see in the game.
“Hamazaki is a sleazy, persistent, and militant yakuza, right?” Horii said. “Since he isn’t an explosive character like Kanda, when we tried to think of someone who makes you go, ‘This guy’s a creep,’ naturally it was Kagawa–that was the main factor. Kagawa’s acting is fun to watch. Even when he’s chopping a pig’s feet off with a chef’s knife, it has a slimy feel. That feeling permeates his performance, so it brings a freshness to the scene and made it feel really fun.”
